Project 05:Signaling role of LTCCs in reactive astroglia in CNS disease

We aim to study the role of L-type Ca2+ channel subunits that we found to be overexpressed in astrocyte-like cells surrounding amyloid plaques that appear in the brain of Alzheimer's Disease patients. We will determine if these indeed form functional channel complexes, and which signaling pathways induce their overexpression. Moreover, we will test if these astrocyte-like cells are related to astrocyte-like neuronal precursor cells.